10-11 Section 6AAA Preview

This is the 17th preview in my 2010-2011 season preview series.  In this preview, I venture to the west metro to look at Section 6AAA.  For a list of all the season previews, click here.

Defending Champion: Benilde-St. Margaret's

Predicted Seeding

1. Benilde-St. Margaret's
2. Waconia
3. Minneapolis Washburn
   
4. Holy Family
5. Holy Angels
6. Richfield
7. Mound-Westonka
   

Nothing like a 7 team section with 6 conferences represented.  Makes for an interesting seeding challenge.  Chanhassen leaves the section to move up to AAAA.  Benilde-St. Margaret's has the most firepower in the section.  Winning the North Suburban and a tough non-conference schedule should get them the top seed.  If Shelby Moats and his back are healthy enough to lead Waconia to the Wright County title, the Wildcats will also make a strong case for the top seed.  Waconia has lost as the 2 seed in the 1st round the last 2 years though.  Washburn will build on last season and finish strong in the Minneapolis City to get the 3 seed.

Holy Family returns junior center Ryan Daul and guard Jeff Soule for new coach Joe Burger.  He's a former assistant for the Fire so expect much of the same disciplined system.  The 2A conference schedule hurts them in seeding but they have Braham in the tipoff classic and a home game with Minnetonka to help.  The biggest game might be the last game of the year at St. Thomas Academy.   Holy Angels wins the battle of Richfield for the 5/6 seeds.  If these seeds hold, I would expect the 4/5 Holy Angels rematch with Holy Family to be very different than their regular season meeting before Christmas.  Both of coach McKenzie's teams at AHA have started slow and made big runs late in the year.  With a young squad this season, expect them to be very different in early March than in December and January.  Mound-Westonka lost a group of seniors but still has guard Matt Daoust and center Dan Flesher returning to provide experience.  But I think they drop to the lower half of the Wright County.

Section Winner: Benilde-St. Margaret's.  The Red Knights will have another year of experience for their talented junior class and will have roles sorted out by then.  Too deep and talented to lose the section.  An off shooting night against a team like Waconia who defends well and plays slow is the only way I see them not advancing.  But I don't see Waconia getting there as I think Washburn takes them out in the semis.